Spring actuated projectile projecting device



\ P. AUGE SPRING ACTUATED PROJECTILE PROJECTING DEVICE June 2, 1970Filed Aug. 19, 1968 I N V! 1W '1' R PETER AUGE ATTORNE Y3 United StatesPatent 3,515,111 SPRING ACTUATED PROJECTILE PROJECTING DEVICE PeterAnge, Hong Kong, British Crown Colony, assignor to Ce De Candy, Inc-,Elizabeth, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 19, 1968, Ser.No. 753,363 Int. Cl. F41b 7/00 U.S. Cl. 12416 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A holder for small projectiles or confections having adisc-shape, provided with a spring-loaded hammer that may be released toforcibly eject the projectile or confection from a slot in the housing.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of invention This invention relatesgenerally to holders for small projectiles having provision for forciblyexpelling them, and particularly to dispensers for confectionarylozenges wherein the lozenge may be forcibly expelled from thedispenser.

Prior art Children take delight in using devices which expel smallprojectiles. Often, the small projectiles may be confections, but theylose their significance as such, and they become pellets in the game ofmarksmanship. The sling shot is the classic example of this type ofdevice. The popgun with its captive cork-on-a-string is another example.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION To satisfy the dual longings for (a) a device forexpelling projectiles and (b) a holder for confections, the presentapparatus has been devised. It has an automatic feed for smallprojectiles or lozenges by which they are delivered to a discharge slot;and there is a spring-loaded hammer that can be snapped back andreleased, to propel the projectile or lozenge from the discharge slot.

DRAWINGS PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The holder for small projectiles orconfections is a generally tubular housing 11. It has an integral topend 12. Immediately adjacent to the end 12, there is a transverse slot13 in the housing 11. Extending outwardly from the slot 13, there arelateral enlargements 14, connected together by an integral strap 15. Agenerally flat hammer 16 is located in the housing 11 opposite to theslot 13, and is dimensioned to slide in and out of the slot 13. A pin 17carries the hammer 16 and passes through the enlargements 14. The hammer16 is pivotable on the pin. A spring 18, under tension engages the strap15 and the back of the hammer 16, normally urging it into the slot. Adetent 19 serves the dual function of restraining the hammer 16 frommoving completely through the slot, keeping it in closing relation tothe slot 13. The detent 19 also performs the function of being the meansby which the hammer 16 may be moved out of the slot 13, leaving thespace formerly occupied by the hammer 16, as a seat in the housing for apellet 20.

The other end 21 of the housing 11 is open and is provided with a cap22, frictionally engaged therewith. A spring 23 in the housing bears onthe cap 22, and also on a crown 24. A stack of pellets 20, under urgingof the crown 24, are moved toward the slot 13, and against the hammer16, when the hammer occupies the position shown in FIG. 2. However, whenthe hammer 16 is pivoted out of the housing 11, through the slot 13 tothe position shown in FIG. 3, the end pellet moves into the seat defined:by the space formerly occupied by the hammer 16, against the top 12,and opposite the slot 13. When the detent 19 is no longer overcome, thehammer 16 springs back vigorously into the slot 13, forcibly ejectingthe pellet from out of the slot 13. Each pivoting of the hammer 16permits a successive pellet 20, to move into the space opposite the slot13, and to be expelled vigorously by the spring 18, which drives thehammer 16.

The housing 11 is refillable by removing the end cap 22, the spring 23and the crown 24, and inserting another stack of pellets 20. The pellets20 may be merely projectiles, or may be small disc-shaped confections.The detent 19 limits the inward pivoting of the hammer 16 by engagingthe vestigial wall section 25 adjacent to the slot The housing 11 canfunction as a holder-dispenser for confectionary lozenges such areprized by small children. It can also be used as propulsive agent forthe same lozenges, which may also fulfill the function of pellets orprojectiles.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodimentof the invention. The component parts have been shown and described.They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similarfunction; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for thesaid components and may have actually been known or invented before thepresent invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being withinthe scope of the appended claims, although they are not specificallycatalogued herein.

What is claimed:

1. A holder for small projectiles comprising (a) an elongated, hollow,housing for a stack of flat pellets,

(b) a transverse slot at one end of the housing for discharging pellets,

(c) a generally flat hammer disposed in the housing in closing relationto the transverse slot, and pivotably attached to the housing so as tobe movable into and out of said slot,

(d) a detent 0n the hammer in abutment with the housing, and extendingoutside of the housing whereby the hammer may be pivoted out of thehousing through the slot,

(e) a spring normally urging the hammer into the housing, whereby whenthe hammer is pivoted out of the housing and permitted to snap back intothe housing under urging by the spring when the detent is released, saidhammer will engage a pellet in the seat, forcibly expelling it throughthe slot out of the housing.

2. The device according to claim 1, and

(a) a removable refill cap at one end of the housing.

3. The device according to claim 1, and

(a) a spring in the housing for normally urging pellets against thehammer.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1924 Rogers 221232 U.S. Cl.X.R.

